Most Christians: “I am a Christian. I will never accept the mark of the beast!”
But how many quickly got in line for the C-vaccine? The vaccine is NOT the mark of the beast but it does reveal there will be wide acceptance of the mark of the beast when it comes, even by God’s own people.
How? you may ask…
By the vast numbers of people who have taken the vaccine, imputing to it a savior-guardian like status, as they believed it offered them protection from a virus. How many Christians lived in fear while they awaited its arrival? Then exhaled thankfulness as it was injected into their arm? How many used the phrase, “I am doing my part”?
And of course, there are those who took the vaccine so they could buy, sell, work, travel, go to school, church, and concerts. It enabled them to participate in society like “normal.” They took it to so they could keep doing the things they love. Convenience.
The wide vaccine acceptance shows, many have not discerned the mechanisms that drive much of their decision making: fear, shame, reputation, belonging to a crowd, convenience. The vaccine exposed people’s mushy convictions.
We can, however, be grateful for what this pre-curser vaccine event exposed. The vaccine is NOT the mark of the beast but surely can be seen as a lead up to it. So we can be grateful for the exposure because it has opened a grace and the space to repent of being so easily fooled by the world system. It is a wakeup call to those who will hear it.
The second beast: “I saw another beast rising… it exercises… authority… it performs great signs… it deceives those who dwell on earth… it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. It causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom… [the] number is 666” (Revelation 13:11-18).